Casing-supported liquid dispenser and coin-actuated valve mechanism therefor



y 6, 1950 D. E. MCDONALD 2,507,642

CASING-SUPPORTED LIQUID DISPENSER AND COIN-ACTUATED VALVE MECHANISM THEREFOR Flled Nov 1, 1946 EHHMEHEHE DAN/EL E. MCDONALD Patented May 16, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CASING-SUPPORTED LIQUID DISPENSER AND COIN-ACTUATED VALVE MECHA- NISM THEREFOR 3 Claims.

My invention relates to dispensing machines and more particularly to machines for dispensing lighter fluid or the like.

The object of my invention is to provide a machine of the character indicated above adapted to dispense a measured amount of lighter fluid or the like after a coin of a certain size has been inserted in a coin slide of well-known make and construction.

Another object of my invention is to provide a machine for dispensing a measured amount of lighter fluid or the like after a coin of a certain size has been inserted in a coin slide, said machine bein constructed so that it is prevented from dispensing a second measure of fluid unless a second coin is inserted.

Other objects of my invention may appear in the following specification describing my invention with reference to the accompanying drawing illustrating a preferred embodiment of my invention.

It is, however, to be understood that my invention is not to be limited or restricted to the exact construction and combination of parts described in the specification and shown in the drawing, but that such changes and modifications can be made which fall within the scope of the claims appended hereto.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a front elevational view of a dispensing machine according to my invention.

Figure 2 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view of the machine shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary sectional detail view of the upper part of the machine similar to Figure 2, but in a larger scale, and

Figure 4 is a top plan view of a coin slide used in connection with the dispensing machine according to my invention.

Referring now to the drawing in detail the dispensing machine forming the subject matter of my invention has a housing H] of rectangular vertical cross-section and substantially square longitudinal vertical section. This housing 10 may rest on feet I I made from rubber or the like, and is open at its top.

A tight-fitting cap l2 closes the top of the housing and is secured against unauthorized removal therefrom by a padlock [3, the hasp of which extends through holes provided in the forwardly extending leg of an angle l4 welded to the front wall of the cap l2 and a hole in a forwardly extending plate l5 securely fastened to the top edge of the front wall of the housing 10. A platform I6 is arranged underneath the top of the cap I2 and at a distance therefrom. It extends parallel to the top of the cap and. is supported thereby by means of screws l'i extending downwardly through the cap and having nuts l8 thereon.

Adjacent the rear edge of the platform IS a receptacle lid i9 is fastened to said platform in a manner to be described later on. A female portion of a guide member is securely mounted on top of the platform I6 between said platform and the top of the cap l2, and the member is provided with an axially extending bore having a tapped counter bore, and a male guide member 2| extends through a. threaded hole in the top of the cap [2 and engages this hole and the counter bore in the female guide member 20 threadedly. The guide members are so arranged that the bores in the two members are located rearwardly of the front rim portion of the fruit 20 jar cap I9.

A receptacle 22 is adapted to be fastened onto the fruit jar lid l9 by screwing the threaded neck of the fruit jar into the threaded rim of the fruit jar lid.

A cylinder barrel 23 extends from the lower surface of the top of the cap l2 nearly to the bottom of the fruit jar 22 and is located approximately in the center thereof. This cylinder is attached to the fruit jar lid in the following manner. A hole is provided in the center of the receptacle lid l9 and another hole is arranged in the platform l6 coaxially with the first-mentioned hole. A washer 24 surrounds the hole in the platform and a second Washer 25 surrounds the hole in the receptacle lid l9 Ad-. jacent the upper end of the cylinder '23 a sleeve 26 surrounds this cylinder and is secured thereto, for instance by welding. The lower portion of this sleeve is provided with an outer thread which engages an inner thread provided in the washers 2t and 25 and in the hole in the platform it. The sleeve 26 extends beyond the washer 25 and a cap screw 21' fittin slidably on the cylinder 23 is adapted to engage the thread on the sleeve 26, securing the cylinder 23 and the fruit jar lid IS in position on the platform IS.

A spring-biased plunger 28 is slidably arranged inside the cylinder 23 said plunger having a helical spring 29 arranged inside the cylinder between the bottom of said cylinder and the lower end of the plunger 28. A plunger rod 30 extends coaxially and upwardly from the plunger 28 and has on its upper end a stop shoulder 3i of the same diameter as the plunger 28.

The plunger 28, the plunger rod 30 and the stop plate 3| are preferably made from one integral piece of material, which also extends upwardly from the stop plate 3!. The portion above the stop plate 3| has a somewhat smaller diameter than the stop plate and is provided with a plurality of circular circumferential grooves 32, the circumferential wall whereof is bevelled inwardly and downwardly, as clearly shown in Figure 3.

In the top of the cap I2 a tapped hole is provided coaxially with the hole in the platform 16 and is adapted to permit the plunger unit to slide therethrough. A stop screw 33 is adapted to be screwed into the hole in the top of the cap l2 and is provided with a bore to receive the portion of the plunger unit located above the stop plate 3| slidably therein. A hand knob 34 is removably attached in any desired and preferred manner on the top of the plunger unit.

The stop plate 3| has a somewhat larger diameter than the bore of the stop screw 33. The lower portion of the cylinder 23 is provided with an enlarged circumferential wall 35 having a tapped hole therein adapted to receive the female part 36 of a stufiing box therein. The male part 31 of this stuffing box has on its outer end a tubular member 38 integrally formed therewith. The portion of the bore in this tubular member 38 located below the connection with the bore of the male stufiing box portion is of the same size as this bore, while the upper portion is somewhat larger, so that the up er edge of the lower bore portion in the tubular member forms a seat for a valve ball 39 located inside the bore.

The upper end of the bore in the tubular member 38 is tapped and a connecting piece 40 having a reduced lower end provided with an outside thread is screwed into the upper end of the tubular member 38.

The connecting piece 40 has a narrow bore 4| extending therethrough provided with an enlarged upper end and an upper tapped counterbore adapted to receive an outwardly threaded nipple 42, the bore whereof is as large as the bore 4| of the connecting piece 40.

A thin pipe or tube 43 extends through the bores of the guide pieces 20 and 2| into the receptacle 22. The upper portion of this tube 43 is curved downwardly to form a spout 44. On the lower end of the tube 43 a connecting member 45 is rigidly fastened adapted to engage the nipple 42 threadedly so that the bore of this nipple is in alignment with the bore of the tube 43. In the enlarged bore portion 4l--a in the firstmentioned connecting piece 40 a valve ball 46 is located.

On the front wall of the housing In a coin receiving mechanism 41 is fastened by means of a plate 48 which forms a part of the mechanism and is fastened to said front wall by a plurality of screws 49 or the like extending from the inward side of the housing wall therethrough.

The coin receiving or actuating mechanism does not form any part of the present invention and any desired and preferred coin receiving or actuating mechanism which can be obtained commercially may be used, as long as it is provided with a coin slide 50 extending into the housing and is operable only after a coin of a predetermined size has been inserted.

On the under side of the guideway of the coin slide a blade spring 52 is fastened and extends in a curve upwardly and forwardly. On its upper end an actuating head 53 is formed for a purpose to be described later. This actuatin head is normally located in a rectangular aperture 54 provided in the platform I6 adjacent its forward end. A pair of downwardly extending guide flaps 55 are arranged on the longitudinal edges of the aperture 54.

A slidable member or rod 56 is slidably supported by guide members 57 and 58 securely mounted on the platform 16 and fastened thereon for instance, by welding.

The lock rod 56 is curved at its rear end so that its rear portion 59 extends forwardly parallel to the main portion of the lock rod 55. The rear guide member 58 is located in back of the plunger construction and is provided with two horizontally extending holes therein, which receive the rear portion 59 of the lock rod and the lock rod proper slidably therein. The forward guide member 51 is located at a distance forwardly and sidewardly of the pipe, guide members '20 and 2! and has a horizontal hole therein adapted to receive the front end of the lock rod 55 slidably therein.

On the front end of the lock rod 56 a lock rod head 6!] is rigidly mounted and between this head and the forward guide member 5'! a helical spring 6| is arranged surrounding the lock rod 56 The sprin 6| urges the lock rod 56 forwardly so that the rear end 59 which is beveled forwardly and downwardly as shown at 52, engages any one of the circumferential grooves 32 in the upper plunger stem portion.

The rear end 63 of the coin slide 50 is bent upwardly and is in permanent contact with the blade spring 52, which is so arranged that the head 53 thereon will'be forced into engagement with the lock rod head 60, when the coin slide 50 is pushed inwardly. When the coin slide 50 is forced into the housing It to its full length the head 53 will force the lock rod 58 rearwardly, disengaging the plunger construction from the locking end 59 0f the lock rod 55, so that the plunger 28 is pushed upwardly by the spring 29.

By this time the coin in the coin slide 50 is forced out of the slide by means of a spring biased cam lever 64 forming a part of the coin receiving mechanism 47. When the person operating the coin slide releases the slide in order to place the lighter to be filled under the spout 44, the blade spring 52 will be released, and Will force the coin slide 50 outwardly. At the same time the lock rod head is released from the pressure of the actuating head 53 and the spring 6| moves the locking end of th rod 56 into engagement with the lowest circumferential grOeve 32.

Since the sidewalls of the groove are inclined downwardly and inwardly and the locking end 5-2 is beveled in the same direction and parallel t h plun er can be forced downwardly in the cylinder 28.

It is easy to see that, when the receptacle 22 is filled with lighter fluid, and the plunger is pushed upwardly by the spring 29, some of the lighter fluid will be sucked through the lower portion of the bore in the tubular member 38 passing the valve ball 39 into the lower portion of the cylinder 28.

When the plunger is forced downwardly the fluid in the cylinder is expelled through the bore of the male part 37 of the stuffing box and-through the bore in the connecting pieces 40 and 45 and the nipple 42 into the tube 48 and out of the spout 44.

Having described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. A fluid dispenser comprising a housing, an open-mouthed receptacle adapted to contain liquid and supported within said housing, a removable cap closing said housing, a platform positioned below said cap and carried by the latter, said platform having a rectangular opening in the front end thereof, a lid fastened to the under side of the platform, a cylinder carried by said platform and lid extending downwardly into said receptacle and terminating at a point adjacent the bottom of the latter, the open mouth of said receptacle being secured to said lid, a plunger slidably mounted in said cylinder, a spring in said cylinder underneath the plunger and urging the latter upwardly, a plunger rod having a stem provided with a plurality of circumferential grooves therein extending upwardly through said lid, platform and cap, a stop means on said cylinder and said stem for limiting the upward movement of said plunger, a tubular member adjacent said cylinder and communicating with said cylinder and with said receptacle, a discharge pipe extending downwardly through said cap, platform and lid and connected to said tubular member, valve means disposed within said tubular member for controlling the flow of liquid upwardly through said pipe upon actuation of said plunger, a spring-actuated rod in operative engagement with one of the circumferential grooves of said stem for maintaining the latter in locked position, and a coin-actuated mechanism for shifting said rod out of locking engagement with the circumferential grooves of said stem to thereby permit actuation of said stem and cause dispensing of the liquid contained in the receptacle through the pipe.

2. A fluid dispenser comprising a housing. an open-mouthed receptacle adapted to contain liquid and supported within said housing, a cap for closing said housing, a platform positioned below said cap and carried by the latter, a lid fastened to the under side of said platform, a cylinder carried by said platform and lid extending downwarly into said receptacle and terminating at a point adjacent the bottom of the latter, the open mouth of said receptacle being secured to said lid, a spring-biased plunger slidably mounted in said cylinder, a plunger rod having a stem secured to said plunger, said stem extending up- 6 wardly through said lid, platform and cap, a discharge pip having an end extending downwardly through said cap, platform and lid into said receptacle and connected to said c linder, valve means for controlling the flow of liquid upwardly through said pipe upon actuation of the stem of saidplunger, a slidable member movable into and out of locking engagement with said stem, and a coin-controlled mechanism operatively connected to said slidabl member for shifting the latter out of locking engagement with said stem.

3. A fluid dispenser comprising a housing, an open-mouthed receptacle adapted to contain liquid and supported within said housing, a cap for closing said housing, a platform positioned below said cap and carried by the latter, a lid. fastened to the under side of said platform, a cylinder carried by said platform and lid extending downwardly into said receptacle and terminating in 'a point adjacent the bottom of the latter, th open mouth of said receptacle being secured to said lid, a spring-biased plunger slidably mounted in said cylinder, a plunger rod having a, stem secured to said plunger, said stem being provided with a plurality of circumferential grooves spaced from each other extending upwardly through said lid, platform and cap, a discharge pipe having an end extending downwardly through said cap, platform and lid into said receptacle and connected to said cylinder, valve means for controlling the flow of liqui upwardly through said pipe upon actuation of the stem of said plunger, a slidable member movable into and out of locking engagement with one of the circumfeerntial grooves in said stem, and a coin-controlled mechanism operatively connected to said slidable member for shifting the latter out of locking engagement with said stem.

DANIEL E. MCDONALD.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 791,755 Dorman June 6, 1905 1,397,604 Pfau Nov. 22, 1921 1,633,287 Reuther et a1 June 21, 1927 1,796,669 Stewart Mar. 17, 1931 2,205,875 Coffey et al June 25, 1940 

